GERRIT RIETVELD, 1922
OBJECT
The L40 Pendant Lamp was part of a project that Rietveld designed for the office of Dr. Arie Marinus Hartog in Maarssen, near Utrecht. The simple and innovative design for its time used a completely new tubular lighting technology.
The L40 pendant lamp is composed of four light tubes, originally produced by the Dutch company Philips. The four light tubes are arranged vertically and horizontally, creating a suspended light sculpture, a three-dimensional creation that embodies the neoplastic principles for which Rietveld and other members of the De Stijl art movement are renowned.
Rietveld designed the L40 pendant lamp in 1922, and it was recognized as an extraordinary piece. This remarkable creation by Rietveld inspired the early work of Bauhaus architect Marcel Breuer, before he focused on his famous tubular furniture. Similarly, Walter Gropius, the father of Bauhaus, was strongly influenced by this lamp, so much so that a very similar model can be seen in photos of the Bauhaus director room in Dessau.
Today, two original versions of the Rietveld pendant lamp can be found at the Stedelijk Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Amsterdam and at the Centraal Museum in Utrecht. One more can be seen visiting the iconic Schröder House in Utrecht.
GERRIT RIETVELD
Gerrit Rietveld (1888-1964) was a designer and architect from Utrecht, a key figure in neoplasticism and the De Stijl movement. In addition to the UNESCO-listed Rietveld Schröder House and numerous architectural projects, Rietveld designed furniture throughout his career. His Red and Blue Chair is a symbol of 20th-century modernist design.
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DETAILS
Produced by Tecta
Width of the L40 lamp: 40 cm
Length of the L40 lamp: 155 cm
